nt. Richardson had withdrawn Douglas' name at the Cincinnati
convention in 1856; and, thinking some way out of their present
trouble might now be suggested by him, John Cochrane, in a voice as
musical as it was far-reaching, urged the convention to hear one whom
he believed brought another "peace offering;" but objection was made,
and the roll call continued. Richardson's purpose, however, had not
escaped the vigilant New Yorkers, who now retired for consultation.
The question was, should they strike out the only resolution having
the slightest significance in the minority report? By the time they
had decided in the affirmative, and returned to the hall, the whole
Douglas army was in full retreat, willing, finally, to stand solely
upon the reaffirmation of the Cincinnati platform, where the Driggs
motion would have landed them two hours earlier.

But the Douglas leaders were not yet satisfied. Writhing under their
forced surrender, Stuart of Michigan took the floor, and by an
inflammatory speech of the most offensive type started the stampede
which the surrender of the Douglas platform was intended to avoid.
Alabama led off, followed by Mississippi, Louisiana, South Carolina,
Florida, Texas, and Arkansas. Glenn of Mississippi, pale with emotion,
spoke the sentiments of the seceders. "Our going," he said, "is not
conceived in passion or carried out from mere caprice or
disappointment. It is the firm resolve of the great body we represent.
The people of Mississippi ask, what is the construction of the
platform of 1856? You of the North say it means one thing; we of the
South another. They ask which is right and which is wrong? The North
have maintained their position, but, while doing so, they have not
acknowledged the rights of the South. We say, go your way and we will
go ours. But the South leaves not like Hagar, driven into the
wilderness, friendless and alone, for in sixty days you will find a
united South standing shoulder to shoulder."[525]

[Footnote 525: M. Halstead, _National Political Conventions of 1860_,
p. 66.]

This declaration, spoken with piercing emphasis, was received with the
most enthusiastic applause that had thus far marked the proceedings of
the convention. "The South Carolinians cheered long and loud," says an
eye-witness, "and the tempest of shouts made the circuit of the
galleries and the floor several times before it subsided. A large
number of ladies favoured the secessionists with their sw